IRL Shaddoll (Deck + Locals report)

[ihop]

So I've been playing Shaddoll since I got back into the game and I'm happy that the deck's actually good again now that Qliphort are out of the equation. I still don't have every card I want, but I'm pretty pleased with it atm.

 

19

3 Mathematician

3 Shaddoll Beast

2 Shaddoll Hedgehog

2 Shaddoll Squamata

2 Shaddoll Dragon

1 Shaddoll Falco

2 White Dragon Wyverburster

1 Black Dragon Collapserpent

1 Eclipse Wyvern

1 Dark Armed Dragon

1 Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning

 

10

3 Shaddoll Fusion

3 El-Shaddoll Fusion

1 Book of Moon

1 Raigeki

1 Dark Hole

1 Allure of Darkness

 

11

3 Sinister Shadow Games

3 Mind Crush

2 Breakthrough Skill

1 Shaddoll Core

1 Vanity's Emptiness

1 Ring of Destruction

 

15

3 El Shaddoll Construct

2 El Shaddoll Winda

1 El Shaddoll Shekinaga

1 Castel, the pretty cool dude

1 Number 101: Silent Honor ARK

1 Gagaga Cowboy

1 Yazi, Evil of Yang Zing

1 Black Rose Dragon

1 Armades, Keeper of Boundaries

1 Leo, the very big lion

1 Goyo Guardian

1 HTS Psyhemuth

 

15

3 Maxx "C"

3 Mystical Space Typhoon

3 Mistake

1 Mind Control

1 Torrential Tribute

3 Twister and 1 Nobleman of Crossout (couldn't find any other cards to side. Twister is a relic of Qliphort format and is no longer worthwhile)

 

Things I'd like to have played but didn't own:

Lavalval Chain (I sold my chain just as the reprint was announced and haven't bothered to replace it yet - over Cowboy)

Arcanite Magician (Haven't seen one since 2013 - over Yazi)

Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight (Picked one up after the tournament so that one's out of the way - over Goyo)

2/3 Denko Sekka in the side

3 Mask Change II in the side and a Dark Law in the extra over Leo

Absolute King Back Jack in the main (Picked one up after the tournament, put it in instead of the random Dark Hole)

 

The build originated from when me and a friend were testing for a regional and he suggested maindecking 3 Mistake 3 Vanity's. I tried it for a regional and it was... decent but next regional I was talking to Chris Bowes (of YCS Prague "fame") on the car there and he advised me to maindeck 3 Mind Crush and Breakthroughs instead, which I found much better since it's not complete shit against decks that aren't Nekroz but still matches up reasonable well against Nekroz while still being inherently better than any other deck that isn't Satellar or Yosenju which Mind Crush/Breakthrough are good against anyway.

 

Went to locals today, our locals are somewhat decent. Turns out for whatever reason it'll be 5 rounds no top cut, because apparently the shop-owners are incapable of making rounds last less than an hour each.

 

Round 1 (Burning Abyss)

Game 1: He goes first and opens Rubic+Graff, makes Dante, detatches Graff and mills Cir :/ He summons Graff and Scarm which concerns me but then he tells me he only owns one Dante and makes Giga-Brilliant. lol. For the record, he knew I was playing Shaddoll so double Dante was always the best play rather than Dante+Angineer. He sets 2, I summon Math into Dragon then raigeki him and because he can't make any more Dante all he can do is make underwhelming rank 3s (Muzurhythm lol) and I eventually push through everything.

Game 2: I Maxx C him turn 1 so he just tributes and summons Vanity's Fiend but luckily I have Wyvern+Book of Moon and can get over it. From then on it's basically game and I go for some ridiculous DAD play with my mini dragons and although he makes Angineer to try and stay alive I have the HTS Psyhemuth and push through and win.

 

Round 2 (Bujin????)

Game 1: He has Yamato but can't get to Crane until very lategame so I just make Winda and beat literally every monster he has.

Game 2: He opens 2 Shadow Mirror (not a bad feat when you only have 5 cards to choose from), I have 2 MST. Deck is trash, I genuinely believe I could have played through the Mirror and won anyway.

 

Round 3 (Burning Abyss)

Game 1: Ok, this guy actually owns 3 Dante. Unfortunately for him he opens 4 backrow and nothing else in response to which I just summon Squamata and start beating down. Eventually he can make a decent-looking Mask Change 2 play but then he flips his set Raigeki on my set Hedgehog and Squamata so I just chain Breakthrough on his Dark Law and more or less straight-up win because I can negate his Dark Law next turn 2 and then I have the El-Fusion.

Game 2: He opens similarly bad, sets Rubic (not a good idea if you ask me) and 2 backrow so I think I may as well just summon a Winda with the El-Fusion I have in hand which, it turns out, stayed alive the entire game and won with ease.

 

Round 4 (Nekroz, stupendously good player who lives in Ireland but has family here and used to live here and so comes down during holidays. He's won Irish nationals the last 2 years, not that that's saying much, and his playstyle is fantastic and more or less always optimal)

Game 1: I can't play round Brionac ):

Game 2: I open Mistake but almost lose because I have literally nothing else, eventually I top a Math the turn before I lose and so can start the ball rolling by ditching Falco and then El-Fusioning into Shek during his turn. By the time he finds his MST I've drawn not only a second mistake but also a Vanity's and a Mind Crush so it's a relatively easy, albeit drawn out win

Game 3: Time is called not too far into the game so I have to try and put damage on board but he just has too many Valks and eventually I let myself get Trished. I might have won outside of time because I would have played differently and not left myself as open to a devastating Trish, but hey.

 

Round 5 (Archfiends)

Game 1: I open complete shit and get shut down by Decree+Falling Down on the Wyvern I absolutely need in grave to make my Black and White Dragons that I drew live and then I just get beaten down too easily.

Game 2: I open a decent hand and win because it's Archfiends

Game 3: I open a decent hand and win because it's Archfiends

 

I finish 4-1 and finish 4th behind 3 Nekroz players including the guy who beat me who won his last round also against Nekroz, hardly win much because it's a crappy local but it's nice to know I can beat most decks other than Nekroz.

 

Things to take from this event:

-The BA matchup is phenomenal, even though my opponents either played poor builds or drew bad I still stomped both of them and I'm yet to lose a full match to BA after 7-8 matches, even when they had 3 Guide. In fact, I've only lost a single game.

-Breakthrough Skill is fantastic. It surprises Nekroz relying on Brio/Trish to push through my board, beats Yosenju and Tellars and is amazing if BA Vanity's Fiend/Dark Law you.

-Mind Crush is the best trap in the game

-Shurit is broken

-Shek is love, Shek is life

-End of time procedure sucks ass and plays into the hands of slow-playing Nekroz players.

 

 

edit: pics when I have the time